Serious damage at Washington Esso petrol station after motorbike catches fire on forecourt

It is not known when the Esso petrol station on Heworth Road, Washington, will re-open. Credit: Chris Nixon

A motorbike caught fire at a Washington petrol station before spreading to a petrol pump with plumes of smoke engulfing the area.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service worked for half an hour to put out the blaze at the Esso petrol station on Heworth Road on Tuesday 25 October.

  • Credit: Chris Nixon

A spokesperson said fire crews isolated the fuel supply to other pumps and the station was evacuated as a precaution.

A spokesperson for the service said: "Our fire control staff quickly deployed an appliance from Washington Community Fire Station and another from Birtley Community Fire Station to the scene.

“Thankfully nobody was reported to have been injured and the fire was safely extinguished by firefighters before we left the scene. It is not believed to have been started deliberately.”

Fire services were called at 3:26pm yesterday afternoon. Credit: NCJ Media

Pictures from the scene show extensive damage to the petrol station pumps and roof.

It is not known when the petrol station will re-open.

Station manager Andy Blower, of Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This was a fantastic response from all the staff involved, from the fire control staff who took the call to the firefighters who responded, to the petrol station staff who isolated the pump.

“A fire at a petrol station is incredibly dangerous. There is an abundance of flammable materials that could lead to disaster so the speed of the response is crucial.

“The fact that we were on scene in less than six minutes is a testament to those involved but that was just one aspect of our response.

“The firefighters deserve a lot of praise for quickly evacuating the premises and isolating the fuel supply to mitigate against the worst case scenario.

“Simultaneously we were tackling the flames and within minutes it was fully extinguished without anyone suffering from any serious injuries.

“I want to praise everyone involved in this response, and the staff at the petrol station, for keeping communities in Concord safe and we hope it reassures our wider communities that we will be here if you ever need us.”

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